Isaiah 1:23-31

New American Standard Bible

²³Your ^(A)rulers are rebels
And companions of thieves;
Everyone ^(B)loves a bribe
And chases after gifts.
They ^(C)do not obtain justice for the ^[a]orphan,
Nor does the widow’s case come before them.

²⁴Therefore the Lord ^[b]God of armies,
The ^(D)Mighty One of Israel, declares,
“Ah, I will have satisfaction against My adversaries,
And ^(E)avenge Myself on My enemies.
²⁵I will also turn My hand against you,
And ^(F)smelt away your impurities as with lye;
And I will remove all your slag.
²⁶Then I will restore your ^(G)judges as at first,
And your counselors as at the beginning;
After that you will be called the ^(H)city of righteousness,
A faithful city.”

²⁷Zion will be ^(I)redeemed with justice
And her ^[c]repentant ones with righteousness.
²⁸But ^[d]wrongdoers and sinners together will be ^(J)broken,
And those who abandon the Lord will come to an end.
²⁹^[e]You certainly will be ashamed of the ^[f]^(K)oaks which you have desired,
And you will be embarrassed by the ^(L)gardens which you have chosen.
³⁰For you will be like an ^[g]oak whose ^(M)leaf withers away,
Or like a garden that has no water.
³¹The strong man will become like ^[h]flax fiber,
And his work a spark.
So they shall both ^(N)burn together
And there will be ^(O)no one to extinguish them.